Western New England offers free graduate courses

The Western New England University (WNE) is offering two free graduate courses to students from its Class of 2021 to the Class of 2024 which will provide up to 20% of savings in tuition fees.

The free graduate courses will be available for Western New England students who gain acceptance to master’s degree programmes upon completing their bachelor’s degree at the university.

This offer is open to students enrolled in master’s programmes in Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, and Law.

This initiative comes as a response to a survey published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE’s Job Outlook Survey expects hiring in 2021 to rise, compared to the previous year. The survey results also suggest that hiring in 2021 will experience strong growth.

It also reveals that nearly 17% of organisations responding to the NACE survey plan to increase their hiring levels of 2021 graduates while about 53% plan to maintain their level of hiring.

Commenting on this new offering, the Executive Director of Graduate Admissions at WNE, Matt Fox said, “As our undergraduates consider next steps, especially with the current economic climate, we want to help provide them with the opportunity to advance their credentials in what could prove to be a difficult time as the nation returns to post COVID normalcy.”

The programme offers many benefits — on top of the savings in tuition fees, it will be delivered through high-quality academic programmes taught by the WNE faculty.

This allows students to improve their employment and future advancement opportunities and graduate students will also have the opportunity to defer their undergraduate loan payments.

The programme comes with online course offerings that allow for flexibility and facilitate remote learning, which will allow students to upskill themselves from anywhere.

Additionally, students can qualify for a GMAT waiver, if they enrol in a master’s degree programme offered by the College of Business and have a minimum WNE cumulative GPA of 2.8.

Assistant Dean of the Delbridge Career Center at WNE, Andrea St. James, said that it is essential for students to remain focused on the job search process and to make connections.

St. James added that this opportunity will increase a jobseeker’s value in the marketplace and allows them to demonstrate a commitment to continuous and active learning — which is one of the key qualities employers look for when hiring.

“The sooner you begin your degree, the sooner you will finish. It makes perfect sense,” she said.